Review team addresses recommendations made in earlier mission
Belgium’s nuclear regulator has shown a strong commitment and professionalism in carrying out its mandate to ensure nuclear and radiation safety, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review concluded.
The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) follow-up mission reviewed the country’s progress in addressing the recommendations and suggestions made by the initial IRRS mission in 2023.
The review team said Belgium’s government and its regulatory body addressed the recommendations and suggestions made by the 2023 mission in a systematic manner and made significant improvements since the initial mission.
That mission noted the need for Belgium to identify and secure sufficient financial resources and competences for the regulator in light of Belgium’s evolving nuclear energy context. It said the government should ensure that its decisions relating to nuclear energy policy and financial resources are made “in a timely manner” so that the regulator, the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (Fanc), fulfils its mandate “under any circumstances”.
Of the 17 recommendations and 15 suggestions issued in 2023, the team found that eight recommendations and 14 suggestions have now been successfully addressed and closed.
The IRRS team noted achievements in the Fanc’s human resource plan and competence management, including a systematic approach to training for all staff.
Belgium operates two nuclear power reactors at two nuclear sites, Doel and Tihange, that provide 34% of the country’s electricity production. Five reactors are in permanent shutdown.
In 2003, the government had decided to phase out nuclear power by 2025. However, this phaseout law was abrogated in 2025, allowing the operation extension until 2035 of Doel-4 and Tihange-3, and opening the path to possible new build and further lifetime extension.
Other nuclear installations include research reactors, a radioactive waste treatment facility and an isotope production facility. In addition, medical and industrial applications of radioactive sources are widely used.
